Begin the lesson by writing the following questions on the board:
What are some examples of weather?
Where does weather come from?
Where does weather happen?
How does weather happen?
Is weather always the same?
As students answer the questions, write their ideas on the board.
2.
As a class, come up with a definition for weather. One definition for weather is the following: The state of the atmosphere at a given time in a particular place. (If students aren’t familiar with the term atmosphere, it can be defined as the layer of air that surrounds Earth.) Then have students brainstorm elements that make up weather. You might ask what makes one day’s weather different from the next, for example:
Temperature
Precipitation (rainfall, snowfall)
Wind speed
Humidity
Cloud cover
3.
Explain that meteorologists, or scientists who predict and report the weather, use different types of maps to show the elements of weather. In this lesson, students will work in groups to look at one type of weather map, focus on one aspect of weather, research facts about that aspect, and present their map to the class.
4.
Write the following types of maps on the board:
Satellite
Radar
Precipitation
Temperature
Wind speed
Front
Divide the class into six groups and assign each one a different type of map. Provide the links and questions below for each group. In addition, give each group one poster board with an outline of the United States. Tell each group to use the map as a base to draw its assigned type of map for today’s weather. Remind them to include a map key. Each group should also create a presentation that answers the questions below.
The next day, have the groups hang their posters on a bulletin board. Ask members of each group to give a weather report using their map. Their presentations should also answer the questions provided. Following the presentations, ask each group to compare its map with another and explain how the two are related.
Using the maps from the activity, choose one place in the country that had different weather from your hometown’s. How do you think this weather affected kids in that area? How might their days have been different from yours? Think about what they wore, what they did for recess, and what they planned for after school.
2.
Why is it helpful to use different types of weather maps? When might some maps be more helpful than others? For example, why might you be more interested in precipitation one day and wind speed the next?
3.
Describe other maps you’ve seen in weather reports (examples: UV index, snowfall, pollen count). Why are these maps important?
From Seattle to Sarasota
Print out temperature, satellite, and front maps of the current national weather. (See Web sites above.) Then have students work in pairs to give a weather report for a city in a different part of the country. This information, including a local Doppler radar image, is available at weather.com by entering the city and state at the top of the page. Students should report on current conditions, such as temperature, humidity, and precipitation, as well as the forecast for the next five days. In addition, their reports on current weather conditions should use the Doppler radar image. Encourage students to be creative in their language and presentation. For example, think about how a dramatic change in weather, such as a sudden drop in temperature or a thunderstorm, might affect people’s lives. How might that affect a meteorologist’s weather report?
The Handy Weather Answer Book
Walter A. Lyons. Accord Publishing, 1997.
Everything you could possibly want to know about the weather is all here in this “handy” book! Set up in a question-and-answer format, chapters cover topics like: instruments used to measure the weather; the layers of the atmosphere; wild weather like hurricanes, thunderstorms, and tornadoes; cold weather like snow and ice; weather forecasting; and careers in meteorology. Whew! That’s a lot of information! Occasional black and white photographs accompany the text, as does an extensive list of titles for further reading.
Weather Watch: Forecasting the Weather
Jonathan D.W. Kahl. Lerner Publications Company, 1996.
Learn all about how meteorologists predict the weather. Using photographs and weather maps.
air pressure Definition: The weight per unit of area of a column of air that reaches to the top of the atmosphere. Context: Areas of high air pressure, or high-pressure systems, usually have clear skies, and areas of low air pressure, or low-pressure systems, usually have clouds.
atmosphere Definition: The layer of air that surrounds Earth and is made up of nitrogen (about 78 percent), oxygen (about 21 percent), and miscellaneous gases (about 1 percent). Context: Our weather takes place in the lower part of the atmosphere.
front Definition: A narrow zone of transition between air masses that differ in temperature or humidity. Context: Most changes in the weather occur along fronts.
humidity Definition: A measure of the amount of moisture in the air in the form of invisible water vapor. Context: Humidity is important for making weather forecasts, because it can help scientists predict precipitation.
meteorologist Definition: A scientist who studies the weather. Context: Meteorologists use different types of maps to report the weather.
precipitation Definition: Moisture that falls from clouds in the form of rain, snow, sleet, or hail. Context: Without rain or other forms of precipitation, the ground becomes dry, and crops cannot grow.
temperature Definition: The measure of the heat energy of the gases in the air. Context: Changes in temperature lead to changes in air pressure, bringing different kinds of weather.
weather Definition: The state of the atmosphere at a given time in a particular place. Context: The three main factors of weather are humidity, air pressure, and temperature.
wind Definition: The movement of air, which tends to move from a high-pressure area to a low-pressure area. Context: Winds are named for the direction from which they blow, so an easterly wind blows from the east.
